With the second season just a week away, the West Boylston/Tahanto Regional High School football team took care of business on Friday night, blanking Murdock, 46-0, in a Midland-Wachusett League D Division game.

The Lions own a 6-1 overall record and are 5-1 in the league. Murdock falls to 1-6.

West Boylston/Tahanto, which drew the third seed in the Central Mass. Division 6 playoffs behind Littleton (7-0) and Blackstone Valley Tech (7-0), will host sixth-seeded Assabet (5-2) this Friday, Nov. 1, in a quarterfinal-round game. The kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Playoff seedings are based on power rankings, which take into account the difficulty of a team's schedule.

The Lions have not played Assabet yet this season, but will meet them again on Thanksgiving Day.

Against Murdock, as it has done all season, West Boylston/Tahanto combined a strong offense with a stingy defense.

The Lions, who are averaging 42 points a game, drew first blood with a touchdown at the 4:47 mark of the first half.

After an exchange of possessions, the Blue Devils were forced to punt from their own 9-yard line. The punt was shanked to the right and West Boylston/Tahanto had excellent field position at the Murdock 23.

On second and three from the 16, junior quarterback Alex Thomas found senior tight end Kyle McCubrey open in the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown on a play-action pass.

The point-after kick attempt was no good, but the Lions were up, 6-0.

West Boylston/Tahanto struck again on its next possession.

On second and two from the Murdock 41, Thomas connected with a wide-open Bryan Hayes near the 20. The senior captain and split end then motored along the left sideline to paydirt.

After McCubrey split the uprights for the extra point, the Lions had claimed a 13-0 lead, with 1:12 left in the first quarter.

On its first possession of the second quarter, West Boylston/Tahanto took over on its own 43. Senior fullback Alex Churchill and senior captain and running back Ben Tasker gained 17 and seven yards, respectively, putting the ball on the Murdock 33.

On second and three from the 33, Thomas hit Hayes in the left flat for a 32-yard gain. On first and goal from the 1, Thomas plunged into the end zone for a touchdown.

McCubrey booted the extra point, giving the Lions a commanding 20-0 lead, with 8:50 to go in the first half.

Faced with a ferocious and dominating West Boylston/Tahanto defense, the Blue Devils were forced to punt for the fifth time in the first half at the six-minute mark of the second quarter.

The Lions took over on their own 22. Aided by a 46-yard run from senior captain Tom McCarthy, West Boylston/Tahanto was knocking on the door at the Murdock 27.

On first and 10 from the 27, Thomas hit Hayes for a touchdown, and McCubrey added the point after.

The Lions led, 27-0, at the half.

Fans were still in line at the concession stand when West Boylston/Tahanto scored its fifth touchdown of the game. Churchill burst into the end zone from three yards out.

The conversion kick attempt was no good.

Ahead, 33-0, with 10:22 left in the third frame, Lions head coach Dave Tinglof rested his starters, substituting freely.

Freshman fullback Cole McCubrey scored a 23-yard touchdown late in the third quarter and ran 60 yards to paydirt early in the fourth frame.

Kyle McCubrey kicked the point after on the 60-yard run.

“It was a great game, and we came through with a win,” Tinglof said. “Another good thing is that we came away without any injuries.

“In the second half, we were able to get a lot of young players in,” he said. “I'm really proud of the way the kids played tonight.”

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